Greg Neufeld eliminated from Canadian Idol

Another One Bites the Dust: Greg Neufeld Goes Home as Canadian Idol Top 6 is Revealed

Legendary Paul Anka to Appear on Canadian Idol for “Standards Week,” August 27 & 28

Next Week’s “Pop Rock” Theme Features Live Performance by Maroon 5

In one of the most shocking results episodes ever, Abbotsford’s Greg Neufeld was eliminated from Canadian Idol tonight after receiving the fewest votes on Monday. The 23-year-old house framer from B.C., who was considered to be the front-runner in the competition by several odds-makers, becomes the first male to be eliminated from the Top 10 this season. Neufeld had never before appeared among the bottom group of competitors. Four male and two female competitors were left standing as Neufeld reprised his rendition, ironically, of Queen’s “We Are The Champions,” in front of a stunned studio audience.

“Canada got it wrong,” said host Ben Mulroney after he revealed the final results.

CTV also announced tonight that the renowned Canadian legend Paul Anka will take the Canadian Idol stage with the Top 4 on August 27 and 28 for “Standards” week. Anka, who is celebrating his 50th anniversary in show business and can be considered the very first Canadian idol, will mentor the competitors as they prepare to sing the classics on August 27 before taking the stage himself to perform on Canadian Idol on August 28 with a song from his upcoming release, Classic Songs, My Way. British sensation Mika, who was originally scheduled to appear during Top 4 week, has had to bow out of Canadian Idol due to illness. This latest guest appearance is announced as the Top 6 prepare to work with Maroon 5 in advance of the next week’s “Pop Rock” themed episodes.

Last night’s “We Will Rock You: The Music of Queen” episode saw all seven competitors perform following mentoring sessions with two members of the iconic rock group, Queen. In tonight’s show, viewers saw highlights from last week when Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor performed with the Top 7 along with the cast of the hit Mirvish Productions musical We Will Rock You. After performing together the hit Queen song “You’re My Best Friend” on tonight’s show, the seven finalists were then joined on stage by Yvan Pedneault, the star of We Will Rock You, to perform a show-stopping version of the musical’s namesake song before host Ben Mulroney announced the results of last night’s voting.

Neufeld was joined on stage by the two other members of the bottom three, Mission, B.C.’s Carly Rae Jepsen (21) and Hamilton, ON’s Brian Melo (24). Although Jepsen and Melo had appeared among the bottom group of competitors on previous occasions, it was Neufeld’s first time, making his elimination that much more shocking.

The remaining finalists moving on to the Top 6 are:

Jaydee Bixby, 16, Drumheller, AB, Student

Dwight d’Eon, 28, West Pubnico, NS, Lobster Fisherman

Carly Jepsen, 21, Mission, BC, Student/Waitress

Brian Melo, 24, Hamilton, ON, Construction Worker

Tara Oram, 23, Hare Bay, NL, Singer

Matt Rapley, 18, Regina, SK, Student

In two weeks, the Top 4 will have the opportunity to workshop with the incomparable Paul Anka in preparation for the “Standards” episodes. Anka joins an impressive list of guest stars appearing on Canadian Idol this season, which has already featured Rihanna, Enrique Iglesias and Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor. Additional guest stars lined up for the remainder of the season include Maroon 5, Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne, Kalan Porter and Eva Avila, along with a final superstar guest star soon to be announced.

Ottawa’s Paul Anka is one of the world’s most successful entertainers and songwriters, with awards and accomplishments that are unsurpassed. This year marks the icon’s 50th anniversary in music and to commemorate the occasion, he has recorded one of his most heartfelt and personal albums to date. Classic Songs, My Way, to be released September 4 by Decca/Universal Music Canada, is a collection of Anka’s hand-picked favourite songs. The new CD features a duet with Anka’s protégé, Michael Bublé, for whom he co-produced his first album along with David Foster. The CD also features a new version of Anka’s instant classic “My Way.”

Anka has a staggering 900 songs to his credit and over one hundred songs have been recorded by other artists including Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, Linda Ronstadt, Robbie Williams and, of course, the legendary Frank Sinatra, among others. Anka’s Billboard chart statistics include three No. 1 songs: “Diana,” “Lonely Boy,” and “You’re Having My Baby,” as well as twenty-two Top 20 hits. In addition to being nominated for an Academy Award for “The Longest Day,” Anka was honoured in 2005 when he awarded the prestigious Order of Canada, recognizing his lifetime achievements and contributions to people in all sectors of Canadian society. He is also a proud inductee to Canada’s Walk of Fame.

Tickets to Canadian Idol’s live performance and results shows are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.ca or by telephone (check local listings). Tickets go on sale at 12 noon on the Monday prior to the next week’s shows and sell out quickly. Rush tickets are also available to the most enthusiastic fans showing up at the John Bassett Theatre two hours before show time. Visit idol.ctv.ca for more information.

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One thought on “Greg Neufeld eliminated from Canadian Idol”

I just wanted to say that I was horrified that Greg was eliminated. I really question the system for phoning in to cast votes. I tried several times to vote for Greg that night and a recording continued to come up “All circuts are busy, please try again later.” I never did get through to cast a vote for the person who should have won, or at least gone further than he did. I am not sure if I will ever watch this show again. I am sure there are other Canadians whom feel as I do.